Against most expectations, the Super Eagles went all the way to the final of the 2023 AFCON in February.
The whole country celebrated this achievement, but still there were some who were not impressed with the football the Super Eagles played to reach the championship game.
It was a dour, defensive game which relied on counter attacks even though coach Jose Peseiro had a good number of strikers to choose from in Cote d’Ivoire and has always professed to being a coach that believes in attacking football.
Therefore, there were many fans who were happy to finally see the back of Peseiro in March.
They have demanded for the expansive, attacking football, like the Super Eagles played to catch global attention at the 1994 World Cup in the United States of America.
These fans will most likely return to the trenches should new Super Eagles coach Janna Andersson stick to the dour defensive style he adopted in most of his seven years as Sweden coach.
Nigeria have been known for their attacking football and so for those shopping for a coach for the national team, the target would be someone known for that kind of football.
It therefore begs the big question – Is Andersson a suitable choice for the Super Eagles knowing that he favours a defensively organised team who have been limited going forward.
His promoters said he may have played a defensive game with Sweden because he did not enjoy the attacking riches that the Super Eagles currently have.
However, they forgot that Andersson could select the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon and Jesper Karlsson of Bologna.
So, that argument that he did not have top-rated forwards to work with does not hold water.
Social media users from Sweden have been mocking Nigerian fans since SCORENigeria broke the impending appointment of Andersson.
@jodalmag posted on X: “Our condolences Nigeria.”
@Sirkrypx simply teased – “RIP Nigeria.”
@Pxtsin23 predicted, “You gonna hate him.”
BK Haken of Sweden fan @Mazarineen wrote, “I am sorry for you Nigeria.”
While @Swedestats said: “He fell off a lot before he left our national team, he just didn’t fit the players we have. I don’t know much about the players at Nigeria.”
Are these warnings that Nigeria should take a lot more seriously?
Hmmmm… Why in God’s holy and highly exalted name would NFF go for a known failure of a tactician for the Super Eagles? This is really shows the NFF doesn’t want our national teams to move forward; Nigeria has never been defensive minded footballing nation, the country is highly blessed with attacking options.
Let wait and see…